February 11, 2018 Comments Off on To Consume or Not Consume…That is the Question

Of the many things you can do to kill time while flying, drinking is inarguably the least appealing in regards to your health and your overall personal behavior. Of course, it’s understandable that the idea of drinking to reduce flight jitters could be enticing. The stewardess offering you alcoholic beverages, on the other hand, makes the idea irresistible. What you are probably not conversant with, however, is the theory that alcohol effects at a high altitude are entirely different from its impact on the earth’s surface. Going by the theory, drinking an equal amount of alcohol onboard a plane as what you drink at home could mean that you get intoxicated faster. Subsequently, you become more dehydrated, experience the worst motion sickness of your lifetime and, worst of all, become a bother to other passengers. Not many people will stand your drunk behavior you know? It even gets a lot worse if the people around you are all strangers.

But how accurate is this theory?

From the barometric pressure point of view, air pressure decreases with height and so does the humans’ ability to breathe. This causes a condition known as hypoxia: a drunk-like feeling even when you have tasted nothing close to alcohol. The moment you drink, this situation worsens, and so you end up looking drunk than you are. However, research has shown that blood alcohol content (BAC) in the human body is not affected by changes in altitude.

Contrary arguments to this theory have come forth, too. According to a research conducted by the Federal Aviation Administration, alcohol effects are constant with changes in altitude. The study, however, acknowledges that heavy on-flight drinking could be a possible cause of cognitive dissonance.

After Drinking, What Next?

If you can’t resist drinking in the plane, then make sure that every drink is accompanied by an equal amount of water. At the very least, this reduces dehydration and minimizes the hypoxia effect. Salt-free foods are also useful in combating dehydration.

Let’s be honest, juggling between missed connections, body scans, securing overhead cabin space, and dealing with annoying passengers at the airport is enough to make your head pound. If that was not bad enough, some people who have a history of sinus headaches suffer intolerably during take-off or landing. Although this type of a headache only lasts about 30 minutes, it is enough of a – pain – for some people to hang up their flying shoes.

Why do some people, like my buddy from Rogers Tow Truck, get an insufferable migraine while inflight and other people do not? It is actually unclear why some people get “flying headaches” and others do not, but researchers have their suspicions. One cause may be caused by an imbalance between the frontal sinuses cavities and the cabin pressure. Other factors included the speed of the aircraft, the altitude of the plane, a lack of sleep, or holding your neck in an awkward position that creates strain. Additionally, men in their 30s tend to struggle with “flying headaches” more than women.

If you suffer from sinus related migraines when flying, there are remedies you can follow to make flying a little more comfort:

Book a Non-stop Flight

Since in-flight sinus headaches are thought to be related to changes in altitude so avoiding layovers may help. Staying in the air at a consistent altitude until you arrive at your destination will keep cabin pressure steady.

Stay Hydrated

Drink a lot of water before, during, and after your flight to stay hydrated. Although drinking water will not affect your sinuses, it will prevent your headache from worsening due to dehydration. Additionally, it is a good idea to stay away from, or at least limit, your consumption of alcohol and caffeine.

Pop Your Ears

Chewing gum, sucking on hard candy, drinking water, or eating are ways you can “pop” your ears while in-flight. Popping your ears helps to relieve pressure build-up in your sinus cavities while the cabin pressure normalizes during take-off and landing. If none of those options are available to you, you can always fake a big yawn.

Medication

If you have a history of sinusitis or migraines, you may want to take a dose of your medication 30 minutes before boarding your plane. It is important to give your body adequate time to digest the medication before take-off for it to be effective. Taking medication one to two hours prior to your flight is ideal for maximum comfort. Of course, you should always consult your physician before taking any new medication.

Get Enough Rest

Many people struggle to sleep while on an airplane. For some the plane is uncomfortable or the flight is too short to adequately rest. Getting enough sleep the day before your flight may reduce tension in your neck and shoulders, which may contribute to a headache.

Let’s face it, air travel has made the world smaller allowing people to see parts of our planet that otherwise could not be experienced. Getting on an airplane does not have to be a painful or anxiety-provoking experience, especially those prone to get “flying headache.” Follow these five suggestions to avoid headaches and arrive at your destination pain-free.

Have you ever been on a long-distance airplane ride and felt a cramp in your leg? It could be a flight as long as a trans-Atlantic flight from one continent into another, or even flying from one coast to another here in the United States. For some people, that pain in their leg is more than just a cramp that should be rubbed out, but it’s actually a condition known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT). DVT was called the “economy class syndrome” in an effort to identify blood clots that formed in the leg after sitting for prolonged periods in a cramp setting such as the economy section on an airplane. Before DVT was associated with passengers of long-distance airplane rides, British physicians noticed similar symptoms found in people who were huddled in air-raid shelter’s during World War II.

It was about 10 years ago that deep vein thrombosis had been considered a secret killer. The director of Wright State University’s Aerospace medicine program, Dr. Mohler, said that DVT can sneak up on people when they least expect it. Additionally, DVT can go undetected by medical professionals during an exam because it mimics the symptoms of other diseases. The most notable symptoms of DVT is a severe pain in your leg. Although it feels like a cramp, what’s actually happening is a deep vein clot is forming which may cause blood to sludge through the vein when leg muscles are not being used. Often time, the pain felt during a long airline plane ride will subside once the plane lands. But for some people, it’s indicative of a greater problem.

The prevalence of deep vein thrombosis in passengers of long-distance airplane rides it’s not specifically known. In 1986 study was done at Heathrow airport in London which found that of the 61 people who suddenly died after a long-distance plane ride, 18% of them were due to blood clots. A more notable person to have suffered DVT was Vice President Dan Quayle in 1994 when he made several bicoastal trips back to back.

There are some well-known risk factors one should be aware of to avoid developing deep vein clot’s while flying in an airplane. Many of these risks are associated with people who are obese, smokers, those with a history of cancer, history of blood clots, or someone who underwent general anesthesia recently. Although the airline industry probably has no intention of creating more space in between their seats so space is not so confined, there are some things one can do to prevent economy class syndrome on long-distance airplane rides.

Try to book an exit row, sit in a seat just behind a wall in the plane, or pick an aisle seat that will allow you to stretch when the beverage cart isn’t coming through.

Avoid wearing clothing that might restrict blood circulation such as knee length stockings and tightfitting clothes. Not only will loose-fitting clothes make your ride more comfortable, it will also work against the development of DVT while in the air.

If you’re a nervous flyer there may be some temptation to drink alcohol while in flight, but alcohol and caffeine create dehydration during long-distance flights. After you pass through security, buy bottled water to keep you hydrated. Staying hydrated helps you stave off the development of blood clots.

If possible, walk up and down the aisles to stretch her legs and circulate the flow of blood. This may be difficult if the plane is completely full and lots of other people are also getting up to walk around. If you find a chance to get up take advantage of it because movement in the air will keep your muscles moving and the blood flowing.

If you’re not able to get up and walk during the flight, take a moment to massage your legs, your feet, and your knees. This helps to push blood back up toward the heart.

Last but not least, clench your toes multiple times. This form of exercise keeps the blood flowing.

When a person develops deep vein thrombosis as a result of long-distance travel in an airplane it’s usually indicative of a larger problem that was exacerbated by their trip. It’s important for anybody who feels severe pain in the legs to seek medical help after your trip so that your doctor can run some tests to ensure that DVT is not developing. If blood clots are an untreated, preexisting condition for you, it may be better to find another mode of transportation to get to your destination.

The invention of air travel has been incredibly effective since its creation almost a century ago. But it has also had many negatives as well which have restricted it from reaching its full potential. One major positive of air travel is its possibility to connect. With one flight you can almost reach anywhere in the world. These long-distance flights are incredibly great but also come with their negatives. One major downside which most air travelers feel after long trips is jet lag.

Jet lag is the tired, groggy feeling you get after flying for a long time and changing time zones. It is often very undesired and an effect often felt by frequent travelers. But there are a few helpful tips, to combat this problem and make long distance flights much more tolerable. One very helpful tip is to try your best to accommodate your flight to arrive in your destination during light hours rather than at night. By arriving well it still this day, it will help motivate you to go outside and explore rather than at night were you would most likely go to sleep right away. This daytime arrival will also give you more time to get used to the time zone and also to the surroundings and city you are visiting.

Another beneficial tip is to make sure to get a good night of rest the night before your flight. By getting a proper night of sleep it will help you feel energized and refreshed, eager for what is to up come. Plus it will help you be able to shift towards the timezone change in an easier way. One common misconception that people make before boarding planes is that they will not sleep properly the night before and catch up on sleep during the plane ride. This is not a very smart plan to go through with.

Often times, it is incredibly difficult to get quality sleep while on an airplane. Due to all of the nervousness and anxiety, it can cause disrupted sleep and insomnia as well during the flight. It is not very reliable, to count on getting good rest while on an airplane and should be avoided if possible. Additionally, it is also very intelligent to avoid any means of coffee or alcohol before a flight.

Even though it may be tempting to consume these products, especially with the nerves and excitement before your journey, try to stay away from them as much as possible. They stimulate your body in an unnatural way and can cause you to feel very energetic but then groggy afterward. When flying long distances and changing time zones, one major drawback is the pesky feelings of jet lag. By following a few basic tips listed above, you can effectively combat it and, in turn, maximize your happiness during your journeys.